Draft gear



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Sept. 8, 1925.

W. H. COTTON DRAFT GEAR Filed Sept. 17, 1923 3 Sbets-Sheet 2 [92 e/encar 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 f l A I I u 1 3 1 X l g 1 J L Inventor.- j/zlterfiarhon %w W. H. COTTON DRAFT GEAR Filed Sept. '7. 1923 Sept. 8, 1925.

Patented Sept. 8, 1925. '1':

,UNITED. STATES 1,553,286 PATENT oFF-lcE.

WALTER H. ooT oN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR To UNION DRAFT GEAR co, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

" DRAFT GEAR.

Application filed September 17, 1923;- Serial 110,663,084.

To all whom/it may concern.

Be it known that I, WALTER H. COTTON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and'State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft Gears, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof. 7 v I j The invention relates to draft gears for railway cars,.its object being to provide a high degree of efficiency coupled with simplicity of construction and durability.v I

A preferred embodiment .of the invention is hereinafter described, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan View, partly in central section, of the gear and associated parts of the car to which it is applied; v

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the gear under full compression; I

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of aficar still and portions of the gear;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4i,4l of Fig. 2, on a reduced scale; Y

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of construction;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the central element of the gear illustrated in Fig. 5; and- Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of one of a pair of parts of the modified form.

The center or draft sills of a car are represented at 10, a pair of draft lugs at "11.,

' 11, and a pair of bufiing lugs 12, 12. The

butt of a coupler is-shown at 13, and its extension, tail-strap or yoke at 14.' All of these parts are of ordinary construction, except as hereinafter described, and form no part of the invention.

The improved gear comprises a pair of chambered followers 15, 16, the inner faces of their end walls being fiat and constituting frictional surfaces. Seated against the surface of each of the followers is a pair of triangular wedge-blocks 17, 18, and 19, 20. Central wedging elements 21, 22, are inter posed between and bear upon the adjacent faces of the members of each pair of the first-named wedge blocks. An abutment member 23 is located on the transverse median portion of the gear and, as shown, is in the form of a box-like structure having flat faces opposed to the two followers and constituting friction surfaces. The elements 21, 22, are, in the form of construction illustrated in 1, integral with the abutmentmember, and the latter is provided with end portions and preferably a central web 24 for the purpose of giving itadequate strength.

A tension rod 25 extends transversely through the gear, passing through apertures in the end vwallsand the central web of the member 23, and projecting through suitable slots 26 in the draft sills. Helical springs, as 27, are mountedv on'theend portions of the rod 25, each being seated against a nut, as 28, in threaded engagement with-the end of the rod and forming means for suitably tensionlng the springs. The inner ends of each sprlngengage a spring seat 29, 29, mounted upon the rod, each being seated against the hub. of a shoe 30, 31, which extends laterally from the rod in each direction and is provided with inwardly inclined faces 32, 33, bearing against the outer faces of the wedge-blocks, as 35, 37.

A pairof triangular wedge-blocks 34, 35,.

and 36, 37, is seated against each of the friction faces of the member 23, each of 7 these blocks being interposed between one of the blocks, as 18,-and one of the wedging faces, as 32, of one of the shoes 30, 31. p

In' the construction illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the central wedging elements 38, 39, take the form of separate blocks (Fig. 7), which are seated against the central abutment member 40, entering between top and bottom flanges thereof.

Under bufling stresses the parts are moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, against the resistance of the springs 27. The various wedge-blocks as 17, 34, are forced laterally outward, forcing outwardly the spring seats 29. Friction is developed between all of the parts having sliding engagement. The side walls of the two followers are slotted to permit the outward movement of the shoes 30, 31.

The release is effected by the expansion of the springs, and the pitch of the several wedging faces is such that the various elements return to normal position with cer-' tainty.

Under the influence of draft stresses the action of the gear is the same as in bufling, except that the rearward follower and the central elements of the gear are moved forwardly.

ment of the blocks, as 35, against the wedg ing surface 32;. 33, such movement as may be necessary to take up wear may occur.

While the form and arrangement 'of the various parts as shown and described are preferred, they may be varied from without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim as my-invention 1. In a draft gear, in combination, a pair of opposed followers, a central abutment member, a rod extending through such member, s rin s mounted the end pertiehsot the red, a pair of shoes mounted on the rod and urged inwardly by the springs, said shoes havin inwardly facing wedge engaging surfaces, and a set of wedge element-s reacting between each follower and the abutmeh't member and hearing outwardly on the wedge en a ing surfaces of said shoes.

2. In a draft gear, in combination, 'a pair of opposed followers, a e'ehtral abutment member, a rod extending through such mainber, springs mounted on the end ortions of the rod, a pair of shoes mounted on the red and urged inwardly by the springs, and a set of wedge elements reaeting between each follower and the abutment member, certain of the wedge elements slidably engaging a fade Of the abutment transverse t?) the axis of the gear and urging the shoes outward,

3. In a draft gear, in combination, a pair Of opposed fol-lowers, central abutment member, a rod extending through such member, springs mounted on the end pertains of the rod, a pair "of shoes mounted on the red and urged inwardly by the springs, and a'set of wedge elements reacting between each follower and the abutment member, certain of the wedge elements of each set s'l'idably engaging one of the followers and others thereer-slidably ehga-g'ihg t ace of the abetment opposed to the fenewere and bearing outward-1y against the shoes.

4. In a draft gear, in eembinattieh, a pair of opposed followers, a c entral abutment having faces opposed to the tellewers, a red extending transversely through the abut- 1,553,2se F A merit, expansion springs mounted onthe end portions of the rod, a shoe located between the abutment and each of the springs, a

central wedg-ing element associated with each of such abutment faces, a pair of wedge blocks slidably engaging each of such abutof opposed followers, a central abutment having faces o posed to the tellowers, a rod extending transversel through the abutment, expansion springs mounted on the end portions of the rod, a shoe located between the abutment and each of the springs, a central wedging element seated -against each of sueh abutment faces, a pair of wedge blocks slidab'ly engaging each of such abutmerit faces and bearing outwardly against the shoes, and a pair et triahgular wedge blocks slidably engagingeach follower and entering between the central wedge elements and the first-named wedge blocks 6. In a draft gear in combination a pair of opposed followers, a central abutment member, a shoe, spring means for resisting outward movement of the shoe, and a set of wedge elements one of which engages said abutment member and said follower, and the other engages said abutment member and shoe. 7

7. In a draft gear in combination two relatively approachable members having opposed parallel faces, wedging elements interposed between such members, a shoe at each side of said gear", certain of said wedging elements slid'ably engaging the face of one of such members and said shoes certain thereof slid'ably engaging the face of the other of said members, and spring means for resisting the movement of the said shoes.

WALTER ooTToN, 

